Phonograph



July' 3 1, 1923 41,463,311

B. H. DIETZ ET AL A lPiioNocfmu Filed Ma'y 21.' 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 /5 Il 37 5 g I 0 Y 7 1... /251 571g" /3 2 *L* 5 22 v /0 22 J6 ovvvvvlvvvvvvv 2 pvoeoevooov @90o @6&0 (lge 2 l 2 a l 226 S j' lx 'if A gbe/5t Z/Meflv 47,

July 31, 1923- 1,463,311 B. H. DIETZ ET AL PHONOGRAPH Filed May 21. 1921 2 'shuts-sheet 2 Y ao Patented July 31, 1923.

` Wn r"ra I 'it i'.

BENJAMIN E; DIETZAND ALBERT E. HANSEN, `0E CHICAGO, rLEfN'ors.

EHONOGEAPH. y.

' application vniet may 21, 1921;. f serial Nonlinear.. Y I

To all 'whom it mng/ comermf -Be 1t known that we, BENJAMN H. DrE'rz and ALBERT E. HANSEN, citizens Aof the United4 States, V*andmr'esidents of Chicago,

county 'of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-ful Improve- Vments in Phonographs; and wevdohereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, reference 4be- Y ing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the-'letters of reference marked thereon,

which forma part offthis specification. This invention relates to improvements: in phonographs and consists of the .matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed :out in the appended claims. y. A vThe objectof the inventionisto provide a Vnovel andvimproved "phonograph havingla casing which is a' reproduction in miniature ofa piano, and .whichsimulates a piano as tov all its features and .parts visible from the` i outside, said .parts being `combined and corr relatedin such manner thatl all oflthe funcl sible,

tions and adjustmentsA `of the deviceY lasY a phonograph are .performed `and vmade posas that of a miniature piano.

In the drawings:- l f. '..Figure 1- is a perspective view ofaV phono.-v graph embodying our invention;

Figure 2 vis a top, plan view thereof;

Figure 3ds-a vertical detail section Ona-n enlarged scale through the phonograph in a i plane indicated by the line `.of FigureiQ.

Figure 4C is another vertical detailsection through the phonooraph in a plane kindicated by-thezflineE-fofFigure-Q.

Figure `5 is a vdetail perspective view offa .fragmentpvof a dummy keyboard embodied in the casingv of the phonograph. f v

The invention as-herein lillustratedis ernbodied in a. casing simulating Ythe grandi parent, [other types of' piano casings, Lupright orfthe f square piano casings may also ybe 'used `without; departingrgfrom the Aspiritof thevinvention. y v

Referring now tothe accompanyingldrawings 10 indicates a casingl which is that of a grand piano in 1niniat 1 1re The casing ithout detracting fromits appearance is-Lsubstantially shallow, horizontally,f is f threecornered kindgand'is mounted upoIlfV uprightsupporting legs 11. It has an up-4 right'front wall 4Eiland.upright left and right-hand side walls-lg'extending atright `55 Vangles to the front wall. ',I'The. side walls are reversely curved and merge intoeachother at therear, asn is usual in grandpiano casspaced above. the ,bottom wall 1&1, as shown in Y Figure 43, Vand fixed tothefront side'` `,walls isv a second. horizontal.4 wallV or :motor ,70, board l6,which is locatedia suitabledistance above the bottom wallto provide'a space.v 17" that opens into orcommunicates with thev key-board spacev 1,5 at the front lof the casing. ..18 indicates the*` usual twopart A.lid

whichxishinged alongone edgeto thel left Y hand side wall 12W-there` being a prop or Y Vbracel) `hinged tothe rnotor-boarcl"tojholdV '4 ,the lid in its openvposition. Y

YProjecting forwardly from'rthe frontwall l 1Q, near its bottom edgelis a fall-b`oard platy form 20, which overhangsa `part of thekey- Aboard'space '15. To, the innerfaces ofthe Afront extensions ofthe sidewalls 13 of the casing, between the `b ottomfwall'14s,andthe 8.5 fall-board: yplatform '20, are.' fixedhorizontal cleats 21, upon which jrestlthe jends, of. a. dummy keyboard 22., The rear edge of said keyboard engages thatpart ofthe front wall l2 whichV extends"v below'` the Afall-board plat- 90 formf(see.l4`ig, 3). f This dummy-keyboard is made of a-block ofwood cut and 'finished to Arepresent ,theV black and .white keys 22, 22,"l

respectively. of a piano keyboard; (see. Eig.

5.).f .In said .keyboard are provided a,V plu- 9.5

rality of openings-Zwhich connnunicatevwith thespa-ce l5 beneath the ,'keyboardrv Preferably. these openings areat the rearof the keyboardfand open through the-.sides'of blackkeysfff- `Thus theSeL- openings, ,190 7 Q Y nasser i vide a second set of sound wave outlets for said keyboard space, Secured to the rear face of the grill bar is a strip of textile material such as silk which hides the interior of the keyboard space from' view. The grill bar is normally concealed'by a drop board 26 which is hinged at its'bottorn edge to the front marginal part of the bottom yWall 1dvv .of the casing.

y l When this drop board is down inthe position shown in Figure 1v', the grill openings' in the bar or rail 23 are uncovered and sound Waves may pass from the space 15 out through said openings.

To the front edge of the platform 2O is hinged aVfall-board 27, which is of l.-shaped cross section. 'When the fall-board is in the closed position shown in-Figure 3, it covers therkeyboard', and` rests With its free edge upon' thel drop board 26, and when it is in itsjopen' position as shown in Figure 1, it

rests upon the top surface'of the platform and permitsl the sound Waves to issuey freely throughv the keyboard openings 23.

t is apparent from the Yforegoing description that arepresentation of the keyboard and adjacent parts of a grand piano casing is produced, Which is so constructed as toA provide sound openings that are practically invisible so that the appearance of a real piano' keyboard is'maintained. The drop board and the `fall-board not only act to carry out the general appearance V'and effect of a piano, but they also functionV as means to modify or damp the sound Waves issuing through said openings. c Y bove thehorizontal Wall or motor board 16' of the casing, is located the sound reproducing mechanism of the phonogiaph.V

lt .comprises Va horizontally disposed turn Vtable V30, mounted on the top end 'of an upright shaft 31, the bottom end of: which ei:- teh'ds through said motor board and into the space 17 Where it is operatively connected to the driving motor (not shoivn) secured'to the underside of said motor board. To the rear and to the left of the turn table shaft as-*shown in Fig, 2, is a tone'arm base lange 32. This base iiange supports in the usual manner, one'endof a tone arm 33, the other end of which carries stylus holding `sound reproducer 34, ln the space between the bottom Wall an'dmotor board of the .cas- Y with the tone arm 33, and at its larger end,

vth the space 15 beneaththe dummy keyboard. The keyboard end of this chamber is of a height approximating the spacing between the bottom Wall and motor hoard Wall, and is of a Width equal to the spacing between the side Walls 13 of the casing at its keyboard side. y Y

in the casing toward the rear,betiveen the bottom wall and motor board, is provided a plurality of compartments 36 vwhich open through the motor board to receive and hold the records Yto be played. referably provide in said compartments a plurality of indexed division cards 37 secured in any suitable manner, which cards make it possible to arrange Vthe records in indexed order for the purpose of selection.r

i/Vhen a record has been placed upon the turn table and played, the sound waves through the tone arm 23 into the smaller the soundchamber 35, to be ampliii therein on the vvay vto the outlet openings i the dunimy keyboard and grill bar or re Should it be desired to modify or damp the sound Waves, either the drop board 2d or the fall-board 27 ina-y be closed to the desired volume of tone or both may be closed at the same time for further inediiication.` i

1ilhile in describing our invention We have referred to certain ldeta-ilscin constructi and arrangement of parts, Wedo not Wish to be limited thereto except-as may be pointed out in the appended claims. Y

VVeclaim as our invention LA phonograph, comprising a piano-like 'casing having a dummy keyboard 'pro vided with openings therein, a sound reproducing mechanism in tlie casing spaced from the keyboard, and" means providing a sound chamber leading from'Y the sound reproducing mechanism and terminating at the keyboard. 'y Y 2. Arphonograph comprising a piano-like casing havinga dummy keyboard provided with openings therein and a fail-board hinged to the casing above the keyboard, sound reproducing mechanism inthe casing spacedhfroni the keyboard,` and'ineans providing a sound chamber leading from the sound reproducing mechanism and terminating at the keyboard, the openings in rv? provide an outlet for the sound'cha er, the said fall-board. being adapted to e swung into a position to Yenclose the heyboard so as to modify the sound Waves issuing thro'ughthe openings therein.A Y

` 3. phonograph comprising a piano-"i` casing having a dummy keyboard and a board rail below the keyboard, said keybc and rail being provided with' openings, sound reproducing mechanism in the casi g located back of the keyboard-means provocy ing a sound chamber leading from the so reproducing meansand terminating front end at the keyboard and rail,

v openings in which provide outlets for the as our invention, We affix our signatures in 10.. Y I

sound chamber, a fall-board hinged. to the thev resence of two Witnesses, this 18th day casing above the keyboard, and a drop of ay, A. D. 1921. Y

, board hinged to the casing along the bottom l BENJAMIN H. DIETZ.v edges of the keyboard rail, said boards bein Y n adapted to be swung toward said keyboard 1 n ALBERTVE HANSEN'- i' and said rail openings to modify the sound Witnesses: l waves issuing therefrom. T. H. ALFREDS,

In testimony that We claim the foregoing CLARENCE E. 'MEHLHoPn 

